Cats and Docs
by ficwriter2003
Summary: Dr. Leslie Thompkins shouldn't have taken the dangerous road home. Fortunately for her, she has an unlikely guardian in the form of a stray.


**CATS AND DOCS**

 _Fandom: Gotham  
Rating: TV-14 (Violence, Language, Suggestive Dialogue)  
Genre: Drama/Action_ _  
_ _Summary: Dr. Leslie Thompkins shouldn't have taken the dangerous road home. Fortunately for her, she has an unlikely guardian in the form of a stray.  
_ _Author's Note: Takes place not long after the Season 2 Fall finale (Ep 2x11)_

It was after 3 a.m. on a chilly Gotham night and Selina was swiftly making her away across a series of uneven rooftops, when she noticed a familiar sight below.

Dr. Leslie Thompkins had just stepped outside of her sleek convertible. She'd been stopped by a roadblock, at which chubby workers milled about, half-assing their night's work.

Selina stalled her journey long enough to watch with minimal curiosity as Lee approached one of the men, who proceeded to tell her the road was closed until the morning.

"I need to get home." she tried, "I live on 4th and this is the only way."

"No it ain't, take Bakersfield, up past 30 East. It'll take ya right around."

"Yeah, through the Narrows."

"That's your problem, lady. Not mine." he shrugged, then over his shoulder offers one piece of advice, "May wanna put the top up."

Lee shook her head and climbed back into her car. She glanced down at her cell phone. Should she call Jim? No. He was at work. He was busy. She didn't want to be a bother. She could get herself home. She put her cell in the cup holder and turned the car around.

Selina watched in irritated disbelief. Thompkins wasn't really going to go through the Narrows? She couldn't possibly be that stupid. But, when Lee immediately pulled towards Bakersfield, she sighed and shook her head.

It'd been a long night. Selina just wanted to go home. But she knew that if something happened to his girlfriend, Gordon would be furious. He would go all Rambo on the local element and she'd likely get caught in the middle. And Selina didn't have time for that kind of drama. That was the only reason she'd help, Selina told herself. It's not like she actually cared.

Selina quickly cut left and hurried across a rooftop, swiftly leaping across the dark gap of an alley below.

Lee drove along silently. She pulled onto 30 East, eyes darting to and fro. She forcibly shook away any fear and gripped the wheel with confidence when —

— BOOM. Black boots and a dark figure appeared right in her eye line, someone having just landed hard but skillfully in a squat right on her hood.

Lee slammed on her breaks, and the figure was barely shaken as their hand gripped the top of the windshield for brace. Large, intense green eyes stared back at her.

Lee's gasp quickly turned to a relieved breath. She blinked away the startle, and irritation soon formed across her shocked, furrowed brow.

Lee immediately shoved out of her car. "Where did you come from?!" she asked, looking up and around. The only option was three stories up. Not possible, she reasoned away.

Selina slid off the hood like a nimble cat. Stood right before Lee with her signature tilt of a hip, all attitude and confidence. Whatever this was, Lee wasn't in the mood. She was exhausted from a long day that turned into a late night, and her feet hurt, and she just wanted to go home.

"What are you doing here, Selina?" she resigned.

"Bout to ask you the same thing." then, off Lee's confusion, "You shouldn't be here. Not after dark. Hell, not any time. Not in a car like that and clothes like those."

"Selina —"

Selina squinted before the woman could reprimand or question her, and she began to encircle Lee with a swagger, eyes tracing her up and down.

"Something's different about you…"

Lee tilted back a little, wondering what the young woman was doing, then — did she just sniff her?

That's when it hit Selina. She knew, somehow. Cats always do. A smirk crossed her face.

"A doc and a cop. Think you'd know to use a rubber."

"Hey! That is… completely inappropriate for someone your age."

"Is it?" Selina asked, with challenge, arms crossed.

Lee's already barely-there humor faded. In its place curiosity, and parental concern. "Please tell me you're joking."

Selina offered only a sly smile, chin tilted up as if to say 'Wouldn't you like to know…'

Lee quickly shook the thought away.

"How did you even… you know what, nevermind. I don't want to know. I'm tired. I just want to go home."

"Not this way, you don't." Selina warned, nodding behind her.

"Well, there is no other way."

"Sure there is." she gestured back to where Lee had just come, "Give tubby a twenty and he'll let you through."

"I'm not going to pay someone to reach my own street."

Selina rolled her eyes. Lee was annoying to her on so many levels. The woman seemed to mean well, but she was stubborn as hell, and not in a good way. She had too many principles. She was worse than Jim, if that was even possible.

"Fine. I'll ride with you." Selina answered reluctantly as though Lee had asked. Which she definitely didn't.

She walked over to the passenger side while Lee protested with a near chuckle, "I'm an adult, Selina. I think I can handle myself without a 14 year old escort."

"You didn't even put your top up." Selina pointed out with judgment as she coolly hopped right over the side of the car and into the passenger seat. One arm slung over the back of the seat and the other across the door.

With a flip of her open-gloved hands to silently ask 'You comin'?' — Selina waited.

Lee sighed, and climbed in. With a quick glance of irritation at the cocky little thing to her, she started the car.

—-

They'd driven in silence for a couple blocks. Selina felt Lee continue to look over at her, and it made her uncomfortable. She shifted. And Lee noticed, so she decided to talk instead of stare.

"So you live out here? In… the Narrows."

It came off a little more hesitant and judgmental than Lee meant it. Selina shrugs.

"Used to. Now I live… somewhere else." she caught herself, always careful not to reveal too much. Always on guard.

And Lee knows it. She softens now, pitying this lonely, guarded orphan.

"What you said back there, about… you know."

With a complete deadpan Selina looked over voice dropped, "Are you seriously going to ask me about that? As if it's your business, at all."

Lee tried anyway, "I'm just saying. I am a doctor. And a woman. So if you ever needed someone to talk to —"

"Says the knocked-up chick." Selina speaks with finality before bringing her boot up onto the dash and using it to push herself up and into a backwards half-roll/half-flip in order to relocate to the back seat and be as far away from Lee's questioning as possible while remaining in the car.

Lee was startled by the move, shocked by the girl's physical prowess, if not even a little bizarrely impressed. She also took the blatant hint, and decided against further conversation.

—-

After a few more blocks of silence — Selina perked up, cautiously, her brow furrowing. Lee noticed the movement in the rearview.

"What is it?"

But Selina was too focused on what's ahead of them to answer her. That's when Lee spotted the men up ahead. Three of them, in the middle of the road, watching them approach.

Lee slowed down. Selina leaned forward, instructing "Keep going. Don't stop."

"But — they're blocking the road."

"They're playing with us. They'll move."

"Selina…" Lee said nervously. She wasn't exactly ready to commit vehicular manslaughter. Her fingers gripped the wheel a little tighter. But she listened to Selina, and didn't slow down.

Until car got closer and closer — until she could see the men's eyes. Their glare.

Her car was about to plow into them like bowling balls —

— Lee SLAMMED on the breaks, stopping literally feet from them.

Behind her, Selina's face went flat. She silently cursed the woman for not listening.

But Lee was already cursing herself when she saw the shotgun in one thug's hands.

"Nice ride. Think I'll have it." he says with a voice like gravel.

Lee decides to try to try to appeal to them, "I'm pregnant!" she blurts. "Please don't take my car…"

The man glances at his buddies. They all smile.

"Who said anything about the car?" he answers, approaching the driver's side, his buds in tow.

Lee white knuckled the wheel —

— WHOOSH. Selina landed outside Lee's door in a flash, her stance slightly knelt — head tilted like a cat, on full alert, and in fight mode.

Lee looked from Selina to the men. What could this little girl possibly do? Despite the terror of the situation, she couldn't help but note and appreciate Selina's protective instincts.

"Well now, what do we have here?" gravel voice raised an eye brow.

"Even better." his buddy grinned, drinking in Selina's young but developed form.

Gravel agreed. "Forget the old lady. She's already got a baby in her anyway."

"Selina." Lee barked protectively, as if telling her to get back, before popping the door open to step out and try to protect the young woman. But Selina wouldn't allow it. She just shoved the door back shut behind her, keeping Lee in the car.

"Put that bitch down!" the buddy gritted.

Gravel voice immediately obliged, lifting the shotgun at Lee.

Selina lunged forward, grabbing its end. There was a struggle — BOOM — Lee's front windshield shattered from a sloppy shot, sending her diving for cover.

She popped back up to see Selina step up onto his thigh and mount him from above, using her weight and force to flip them both forward and over — just like she had done to try to save Bridgit once — only this time, she was even faster. She snatched the man's gun and used it's barrel to CRACK his skull, knocking him out.

Selina was then linebackered to the asphalt, knocking the gun from her hand. She elbowed the guy on top of her, buying room to scramble up and then — knee him in the face.

The race was on for the shotgun, between her and the last thug — or so she thought — POP — a bullet from a handgun she didn't know he had RIPPED through her left shoulder instead, sending her spinning and falling back.

"NOOOO!" Lee screamed and burst from the car — only to be grabbed and held back by the thug who'd recovered from Selina's knee to the face.

The man who shot Selina hovered over her now. Stepped right over her, feet on both sides of her hips. "Shame to waste such a pretty face." he said, cocking the gun. Lee watched in horror, struggling against her captor.

His finger tightened on the trigger —

"ARHHHHAAAA!" the man SCREAMED as Selina's knife jammed into his calf before he could pull the trigger. He buckled slightly but remained upright.

Selina reacted instantly, pulling his ankle with her right hand and gripping junk with the other, twisting and shoving up and forward taking him right off his feet, and SLAMMING him back onto the pavement. The moment he struck, she pulled her knife from his leg —

— and JAMMED it into his neck, her teeth gritted like an animal. She then yanked it back out, letting the carmine GUSH from his carotid.

Lee stood in silent shock, eyes wide as can be.

Selina's eyes then rolled up to the man over Lee's shoulder. She glared at him in anger, her body becoming weak from her own wound, but her survival instinct fueling her forward. She took a step. Then another.

The man panicked, without a weapon to protect him, and dragged Lee to the side, putting the car between them and Selina. But that didn't stop the girl.

She jumped right up onto the hood. Hovered over them.

The man gritted. Screw this. He shoved Lee away from him and turned to run —

— but Selina landed on his shoulders, jammed the knife into his eye socket, and twisted. The brain injury made him drop immediately, Selina riding him down and turning when she heard RAPID footsteps behind her —

Gravel voice. Fresh awake from the shotgun to the skull. And pissed.

But so was Selina. She stalked forward, past a horrified Lee.

The man bolted for Selina. She sprinted at him. They met just past Lee as he swung to nail Selina with a fist but she was too quick and swiped and sliced his shoulder. He swung again and she took a HARSH blow, but it was nothing she hadn't felt before, so her head cracked right back into focus. Arms and legs swung and swiped and Selina dodged it all, pushing past the pain in her shoulder to return with little slices of her knife to his arms and legs.

He finally found an opening when she missed an attempt to stab him in the chest, and he PUNCHED her again, hard. This one cleaned her clock a bit. He took immediate advantage, digging a thumb into her bullet wound. She cried out in agony. He then followed with a knee to her stomach, like the coward he was, then grabbed her by the collar with his free hand, lifted and shoved her back — SLAMMING her against the hood of Lee's car, her knife bouncing away from the pain and impact. She coughed and choked from her air having been knocked out.

He pulled his thumb from Selina's gaping wound and used the now bloody hand to strangle her. She struggled against him. Hard. She clawed and gritted and swung at him like an animal.

By now Lee had snuck around the car and reached the closest weapon — the shotgun.

"Get off of her or I'll shoot!" she barked.

The man yanked Selina up and gripped her around by the throat, using her as a human shield.

"Do it." Selina gritted, barely, with what little breath she had, as her eyes were about to roll back.

Lee locked eyes with the girl standing as a hostage before her. The girl who'd just saved her life. Who's nose now bled and shoulder gushed from battle. Who's life she could possibly end with a single untrained shot.

A standoff. Lee couldn't. She just couldn't. Tears welled to her eyes.

Selina, realizing it wasn't going to happen and she had to save herself — STOMPED her heel onto the man's foot, and WHIPPED her head back, breaking his nose. He stumbled back, then scrambled right back up

— but not before Selina rushed to Lee, snatched the shotgun, turned just in time and — BOOM —

— blew his brains out.

Lee's hands went to her mouth to stifle her shock. Then to her chest as she took in the death all around them.

"Selina…" she spoke breathlessly, barely audible to either of them.

Selina turned to face her — but didn't make it all the way around before she slumped to the ground.

"Selina!" Lee couldn't catch her in time, but knelt beside her.

"I'll call an ambulance…" she began to push up, but Selina gripped her wrist.

"No hospitals. They'd send me upstate…" she protested, barely conscious.

"Damn it, Selina." Lee looked around desperately.

"We can't stay here." Selina told her, as she tried to sit up, to stay awake and not let the draw of a potentially deadly sleep win out. Always the fighter.

"Just take me home. Please."

After a long beat, and despite better instincts, Lee finally gave in.

"Where?"

—-

Lee drove fast, with Selina next to her proper up against the door. She glanced at her constantly — just like before. Only this time, with grave concern. Selina's blood was everywhere.

"Come on, Jim… damn it!" she slammed her phone down upon getting his voicemail for the third time in a row.

"Gordon's off playing hero, huh?" Selina said weakly.

Lee scoffed. "You're one to talk."

With a deep sadness, Selina responded, "I'm no hero…"

When Lee turned to look at her again — her smile faded. Selina was unconscious.

Panic rising, Lee put the pedal to the floor.

—-

Lee dug fast through the materials in the morgue. She was almost glad Selina was unconscious so she didn't have to hear about how bad of an idea it was to stop by the precinct for medical supplies.

Before she could leave with what she needed — she ran right into Edward.

"Ed!" Lee stopped cold.

"Doctor Thompkins. I thought you'd gone home. Didn't you already work a double shift?"

He then noticed the blood splatters on her shirt.

"Do you know where Jim is?" she asked quick before he could inquire.

"Umm well, if I had to give my most educated guess, I'd say… somewhere in Gotham." he laughed with a toothy grin.

"So you don't know."

His smile faded. "Not specifically, no. But I supposed there are ways to deduce —"

"Nevermind, thank you. If you do see him — please tell him to call me as soon as he can. It's important."

"Certainly, Doctor Thompkins. I will."

With that, she shoved past him fast. He then noticed blood on her shoes too, and his head tilted.

"Curious."

He finally just shrugged, turned and walked away. Halfway down the hall, he lit up and spun back around with a grin, "I wonder if she's killing people too?"

—-

An in-and-out-of-conscious Selina propped up with one arm, Lee used the other to shove the girl's decrepit door open with the supplies in hand. When she managed to get them both inside, she froze at the state of the place. This was nowhere for anybody to call home, let alone a teenage girl. But she had no time to judge or pity the environment in which the girl dwelled.

Lee dragged Selina across the room and lowered her onto the makeshift bed.

She removed Selina's leather jacket. Then unzipped and removed her hoodie, leaving one last layer — a thin long sleeve. She slipped it up and over Selina's head with some effort, leaving the girl in a black sports bra.

Lee couldn't help but notice Selina's young, but very toned body was marred with various scars and scrapes and bruises, many older than from just what happened tonight. Sympathy once again washed over her. This was a girl who'd obviously spent her whole life fighting. Surviving.

She understood now, why Selina kept that sawed off shotgun so perfectly trained on her the first time they'd met.

She quickly forced herself to re-focus, opened her kit, and lowered the top strap of Selina's to get better access to the gushing wound.

—-

Selina stirred and awoke to the blurred image of Lee cleaning up the mess of used supplies.

When she registered her surroundings and the night's events, she sighed and sat up — with a wince. Lee turned at the sound, both surprised and relieved to see her awake.

"Selina."

Lee rushed over, kneeling down beside her.

"You should lie back down. You need to rest." she told her, clumping the thin, dirty pillow under Selina's head as she forced her to lay back again.

Lee hesitated to pull back, hand still behind the girl's head like a mother holding her child. Something she soon would in fact be doing, and the irony wasn't lost on her. She then moved her hand around front to give Selina a gentle stroke of the cheek with the back of her fingers.

Selina turned her face to dodge the touch. Lee sank in reaction, and once again felt so sorry for her. Poor girl just couldn't allow anyone to get close…

Lee kept her hands to herself now as she turned serious and said a simple, genuine, "Thank you, Selina."

Selina suddenly felt a little guilty for her rejection. So she offered the only olive branch she could. "Cat." she said, tiredly.

"I'm sorry?" Lee asked, curiously.

"Call me Cat."

Lee cracked a gentle smile.

She then pushed up a little and scooted over to the wall, taking a seat against it. It would just have to do until morning came, or Jim called, whichever happened first.

Unfortunately, sunrise would be what greeted her, not her fiancé. She would stir and wake and — only to find Selina gone, without a trace as to where she'd run off to, or when she would be back. Or even if she would be back. She assumed this was the girl's standard mode of operation. Get out before getting too close. Lee couldn't say she blamed her for it, after what she'd seen the night before. The frightening world in which Selina lived. She now understood the girl more than she ever could by asking questions.

And so, Lee simply grabbed up her purse and her jacket, and left.

Later that day, the bodies of three thugs would be found in the Narrows. Lee would tell Jim what really happened, but ask that he tell Barnes the same thing she would — that she was saved by mysterious stranger, instead of the truth.

Jim understood Selina's situation, and agreed. After all, Selina, for all her troubles and everything she'd put him through in the past, had just saved the life of both the woman he loved, and his unborn child. Thus, keeping her secret was the least he could do for her. Between saving Lee and helping save Bruce just weeks before, Jim would owe Selina, big time. And he knew, without a doubt, she would eventually come to collect.

—-

One night, about two weeks later, Jim left for an overnight shift and Lee had the evening off. She was in the process of reheating leftovers, when she slipped off to use the restroom.

When she returned, she stopped in her tracks, startled — by a small brown paper bag sitting on the table and an open window, drapes flowing in the wind, behind it. She frowned and cautiously approached — until she saw "DOC" scribbled sloppily on the outside of the bag.

Curiosity got the best of her, and she hurried to open it.

Inside were two items, wrapped in old newspaper. The first said "FOR NOW" and when she unwrapped it — Lee found a small, plush black cat. An adorable, sweet gift for her unborn baby. Knowing exactly who it was from, a touched smile crossed her lips.

She set the soft little kitty down, and pulled out the next gift, which said "FOR LATER". She tore away the newspaper wrapping, and her smile dropped, replaced with a look of mildly-humored irony.

A hand on her hip, Lee shook her head in disbelief —

— at the box of condoms.

END.


End file.
